This invention relates to heating and dispensing fluid, such as shaving creams, gels, foams, oils and the like, in limited amounts.
Many fluid consumer products, such as shaving cream foams and gels, are packaged and sold in closed containers, such as pressurized cans, with manually operated dispensers for releasing a limited amount of the product for each use. Improvements in such dispensers are desired. Additionally, it is frequently useful to heat such products before they are applied to the skin, for improved comfort.
Pressurized products such as shaving gels, for example, can feel particularly cold against the skin as dispensed, owing to the cooling effect of the thermodynamic expansion of the gel from the can. After showering, the contact of this direct dispensed product can be perceived as even colder on the warmed skin. Some efforts have been made to heat shaving products as they are dispensed, such as by electric heater appliances. Others have employed hot tap water to heat the shaving products within the can before they are dispensed.
Many pressurized products contain propellants within the product itself. After a desired amount of product has been dispensed, some amount of unwanted xe2x80x98dribblingxe2x80x99 or xe2x80x98droolingxe2x80x99 from the nozzle may be experienced, due to subsequent expansion of product within the dispenser.
The invention features an improved dispenser for fluid containers, with particular applicability to pressurized cans of products such as shaving creams, lotions, foams and gels.
According to one aspect of the invention, a pressurized can of flowable material has a body defining an interior volume containing the flowable material in a pressurized condition, a valve operable to dispense a selected amount of the flowable material from the can through an outlet at an exterior surface of the can, and, between the interior volume of the body and the valve, a heat transfer device. The heat transfer device includes an exterior housing defining an interior volume adapted to receive and hold a quantity of water at a temperature differing from that of the flowable material, and a conduit contained within the housing and forming a flow path for the flowable material between an outlet orifice of the interior volume and the valve. The conduit is adapted to contain a quantity of pressurized, flowable material as thermal energy is transferred through the conduit between the water and the contained quantity of flowable material, and the valve is disposed proximate the outlet and is adapted to prevent flow of pressurized material through the outlet when released.
Preferably, the can defines a released material flow path, between the valve and the outlet, having a volume of no more than 0.05 cubic centimeters (more preferably, no more than 0.02 cubic centimeters) for containing unpressurized material downstream of the valve.
In some embodiments, the can also includes an operable valve at the outlet orifice of the interior volume of the body, and an exposed surface adapted to operate both valves when manually manipulated.
The valve, in some preferred constructions, comprises a sliding face seal at an outlet surface of the conduit, preferably disposed less than about 0.050 inch (1.3 millimeters) from the exterior surface of the can.
The invention is particularly useful in applications in which the pressurized material contains a propellant, and in which the pressurized material expands upon being released through the valve. Examples of pressurized materials for which the invention is well suited include gels and shaving products.
For shaving applications, the conduit is preferably adapted to contain a quantity of flowable product sufficient for shaving a man""s face.
For particularly advantageous thermal response, we recommend that the conduit have an effective thermal mass, in some cases, of less than about 8 Joules per degree Kelvin (preferably, less than about 6 Joules per degree Kelvin). It is also desirable that, in some instances, the conduit material have a thermal conductivity of at least 0.3 watts per meter-degree Kelvin.
The conduit may be made of plastic resin, for example, with a nominal wall thickness, between water in contact with an outer surface of the conduit and flowable material contained within the conduit, of preferably less than about 0.050 inch (1.3 millimeters), more preferably less than about 0.030 inch (0.76 millimeters). The conduit defines, in some cases, a spiral flow path for the flowable material.
In some embodiments, the conduit is adapted to contain at least {fraction (1/10)} fluid ounce (preferably, at least ⅙ fluid ounce, and more preferably, at least ⅓ fluid ounce) (at least 3 cubic centimeters, preferably at least 5 cubic centimeters, more preferably at least 10 cubic centimeters) of flowable material.
Preferably, the heat transfer device is constructed of materials selected to safely withstand filling the housing of the heat transfer device with water at about 140 degrees Fahrenheit, for heating the flowable material contained within the conduit. Preferred materials include, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene.
In some embodiments, the can has a valve actuator exposed for engagement by a human finger and adapted to be moved from a first position, in which the actuator is blocked from actuating the valve, to a second position, in which the actuator actuates the valve to dispense flowable material when depressed. The can may also have an operable valve at the outlet orifice of the interior volume of the body, with the actuator being blocked from actuating the valves in its first position, but actuates both valves when depressed in its second position.
Particularly for use as a shaving lubricant dispenser, the can ideally should be adapted to dispense at least four cubic centimeters of temperature-modified, flowable material, as measured volumetrically prior to any expansion, within less than about six seconds, upon valve actuation.
According to another aspect of the invention, a pressurized can of flowable material is provided for retail sale. The can includes a cylindrical body having an outer diameter and a length and defining an interior volume containing the flowable material in a pressurized condition, and, coupled to an upper end of the body, a heat transfer assembly having an overall height, measured from the upper end of the cylindrical body, of less than about 3 inches, and being substantially contained within an extended cylindrical volume defined by the outer diameter of the body. The heat transfer assembly has an exterior housing defining an interior volume adapted to receive and hold a quantity of water with the can in an upright position, the exterior housing containing a valve operable to dispense a selected amount of the flowable material from the can, and a conduit within the interior volume of the exterior housing for submersion in the quantity of water and forming a flow path for the flowable material through the heat transfer assembly. The conduit is adapted to contain at least three cubic centimeters of pressurized, flowable material as thermal energy is transferred through the conduit between the water and the contained quantity of flowable material.
The valve is preferably disposed proximate an outlet at an exterior surface of the can and is adapted to prevent flow of pressurized material through the outlet when released.
In many useful applications, the pressurized material contains a propellant and is formulated for application to skin.
According to another aspect of the invention, a heat transfer cap assembly is provided for use with a dispensing canister containing a pressurized shaving product. The cap assembly includes a rail mount disposed at a lower end of the cap assembly and constructed to clamp onto an upper edge of the dispensing canister, and an outer shell defining an interior volume configured to receive and hold a quantity of hot water. An actuator of the cap assembly is exposed for finger operation and arranged to depress a release nozzle of the canister to dispense shaving product into the cap assembly when operated. A heat exchanger is arranged to receive shaving product released from the nozzle. The heat exchanger is disposed with the outer shell for exposure to hot water, and configured to hold at least ⅓ fluid ounce of shaving product while heat is transferred from the hot water, through the heat exchanger, to the shaving product held within the heat exchanger. The cap assembly also includes a spout, such as an iris valve, through which heated product is dispensed from the heat exchanger, the spout adapted to close to prevent extended exposure of shaving product remaining in the heat exchanger to air.
In some embodiments, the cap assembly also has a barrier disposed between the interior volume of the outer shell and an upper surface of the canister and configured to prevent hot water in the cap assembly from contacting the canister.
In some cases the spout is a valve formed by alignable holes in two adjacent surfaces movable to place the holes in alignment for dispensing heated product, and to misalign the holes to prevent hydraulic communication through the valve.
According to another aspect of the invention, a heat transfer cap assembly is provided for use with a dispensing canister containing a pressurized product. The cap assembly includes a can adaptor, a trunk, a thermal conductor and a top cap. The can adaptor has an axially extending skirt constructed to snap about an upper edge of the dispensing canister to secure the cap assembly on the canister, and an axially displaceable nozzle adaptor secured to the skirt by a resilient membrane and positioned to align with a nozzle of the canister when the cap assembly is so secured. The trunk has an axially extending skirt configured to snap about an upper edge of the can adaptor to secure the trunk to the can adaptor, and a sleeve extending axially from an upper end of the skirt. The trunk also defines a radial hole extending through one side of the sleeve. The thermal conductor is disposed within the trunk and axially displaceable with respect to the trunk. The thermal conductor forms a conduit between the nozzle adaptor and a conductor outlet disposed adjacent the hole in the trunk sleeve, with the outlet positioned to align with the trunk sleeve hole when the thermal conductor is pressed downward to press against the nozzle adaptor to actuate the nozzle. The top cap is axially secured to the trunk and has a button with an extending stem for engaging and pressing against the thermal conductor when the button is resiliently depressed. The top cap, trunk and can adaptor together define an interior cavity for receiving hot water through an upper surface of the top cap, and containing the hot water in direct contact with the thermal conductor to heat pressurized product contained within the thermal conductor.
In some embodiments, the top cap has a skirt extending about the sleeve of the trunk and defining a hole therethrough, the top cap skirt being rotatable with respect to the trunk from an open position, in which the top cap skirt hole aligns with the trunk sleeve hole for dispensing product, to a closed position in which the top cap skirt blocks communication through the trunk sleeve hole.
In some cases, the trunk has an upper surface defining an aperture therein. The top cap button has a projection extending therefrom and positioned to be received with the aperture as the button is depressed with the top cap in a first rotational position with respect to the trunk, and to engage the upper surface of the trunk to inhibit movement of the button with the top cap in a second rotational position with respect to the trunk.
The sleeve of the trunk, in some applications, contains guide means for maintaining a radial positioning of the thermal conductor as the thermal conductor is axially displaced within the trunk.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a pressurized can of shaving lubricant includes a body defining an interior volume containing the shaving lubricant in a pressurized condition, a valve operable to dispense a desired amount of the shaving lubricant from the interior volume of the body, and a cap assembly mounted to the body. The cap assembly has a trigger surface exposed for manual manipulation by a user, a valve actuator operably connected to the trigger surface and positioned to operate the valve as the trigger surface is manipulated, and a flow conduit hydraulically connecting the valve to an outlet defined in an outer surface of the cap assembly. The outer surface of the cap assembly is rotatable with respect to the flow conduit from an open position, in which the outlet aligns with the flow conduit with the trigger surface manipulated to dispense shaving lubricant, to a closed position blocking the flow conduit.
In some instances, the outer surface of the cap assembly is of a rotatable top cap with an inner surface arranged to form a face seal against an outlet orifice of the flow conduit when the top cap is rotated to a locked position. Preferably, the outlet circumscribes a volume, downstream of the outlet orifice of the flow conduit, of less than about 0.05 cubic centimeters.
In some embodiments, the flow conduit is defined within a conduit housing constructed to move axially with respect to the outlet as the trigger surface is depressed, to both align the flow conduit with the outlet and operate the valve.
In some cases, an inner surface of the cap assembly carries indicia that align with a corresponding aperture in the top cap to provide a visible indication that the cop cap is in its locked or unlocked position.
According to another aspect of the invention, a pressurized can of shaving lubricant includes a body defining an interior volume containing the shaving lubricant in a pressurized condition, a valve operable to dispense a desired amount of the shaving lubricant from the interior volume of the body, and a cap assembly mounted to the body and having an outer surface defining an outlet. The cap assembly has a trigger surface exposed for manual manipulation by a user and operably connected to the valve for opening the valve as the trigger surface is manipulated. The cap assembly also has a flow conduit housing connected to the trigger surface to move with respect to the outer surface outlet as the trigger surface is manipulated, the flow conduit housing defining therein a flow conduit hydraulically connecting the valve to a conduit outlet orifice positioned to align with the outer surface outlet when the trigger surface is manipulated to open the valve to dispense the shaving lubricant, and to be blocked when the trigger surface is released.
In some cases, the flow conduit housing is free to move axially with respect to the outer surface outlet as the trigger surface is depressed.
In some preferred constructions, the cap assembly defines an interior volume for receiving and holding hot water, the flow conduit housing forming a heat exchanger contained within the interior volume of the cap assembly and adapted to transfer heat from hot water to shaving lubricant contained within the flow conduit.
The flow conduit may be in the form of a spiral, for example.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of heating and dispensing shaving product is provided. The method includes filling the interior volume of the heat transfer device of one of the above-described pressurized cans with heated water, operating the valve of the can to dispense a selected amount of the flowable material through the outlet at the exterior surface of the can, and then emptying the water from the interior volume of the heat transfer device.
According to another aspect of the invention, another method of heating and dispensing shaving product is provided. The method includes operating the valve of one of the above-described pressurized cans to dispense a selected amount of the flowable material through the outlet defined in an outer surface of the cap assembly, and then rotating the outer surface of the cap assembly to its closed position to block the flow conduit and inhibit further dispensing of shaving product.
According to another aspect of the invention, another method of heating and dispensing shaving product is provided. The method includes manipulating the trigger surface of one of the above-described pressurized cans, thereby both aligning the flow conduit with the outer surface outlet and opening the valve to dispense the shaving lubricant; and then releasing the trigger surface, thereby blocking the flow conduit at the outlet in the outer surface of the cap assembly to inhibit further flow of shaving lubricant from the flow conduit.
Implemented as described herein, the dispenser of the invention can provide for rapid heating or cooling of a single dose of pressurized product, such as shaving gel, within a package size and at a cost appropriate for incorporation on retail product cans. Relying on hot tap water for its source of heat and not requiring any electrical or expensive components, this heating dispenser can be truly disposable. In preferred embodiments there need not be any cap to be repeatedly removed and replaced (or lost), and post-use xe2x80x98droolxe2x80x99 is effectively eliminated by placing a closable, pressure-resistant valve extremely close to the dispenser outlet. No changes to existing pressurized canisters need be required.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.